San Bernardino, CA – The Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) awarded a Future Communities Pilot Program (FCCP) grant to San Bernardino County in the amount of almost $300,000 for a Remote Electronic Warrant program.

The program is a partnership between the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department and San Bernardino Superior Courts to seek approval of search and arrest warrants remotely, without having to physically travel to a courthouse.  The program will soon be expanded to provide the same services to all law enforcement agencies in the County.  “This grant accomplishes a number of goals that I feel very strongly about,” noted Hagman.  “It allows the county to expand its use of technology in a smart way to save time and vehicle miles traveled for our law enforcement personnel.  This will help reduce traffic on our busy roads, and allow our public safety personnel to spend more time in the field keeping our residents safe.”

SCAG covers the six southern counties of California, except for San Diego.  This grant was awarded for using technology to decrease vehicle miles traveled.  Since San Bernardino County is the largest in the United States, it is conservatively estimated that this program will save over 150,000 miles traveled per year.  It will also reduce greenhouse gasses and other pollution associated with driving.  Additionally, it will improve public safety by allowing deputies to remain in the field, serving the public.

The Remote Electronic Warrant program had already been used after hours for processing warrants, but AB 2710, which went into effect on January 1, 2019, allowed for warrants to be processed remotely full-time.